Symbols

Babies:

• Martha and George call eachother "Baby" constantly
• Martha calls Nick "Baby" a few times
• George calls Nick and Honey their "Little Guests" and Martha calls them "Kids"
• George describes Honey in the bathtub "Sucking her thumb" and "Rolled up like a fetus"
• Both couples are focused on their lack of children
• When George kills off his imaginary son, Martha is extremely distraught
• Perhaps a child would fix both marriages?

Religion:

• Title of act 2: Walpurgisnacht
  • Night of the annual gathering of witches and spirits, much like Halloween without the treats
  • "Martha is the only true pagan on the Eastern Seaboard" - George
  • Martha reveals George's story, showing that he is probably responsible for his parents' deaths
  • Crazy behaviors, anything goes
    • Martha and Nick start dancing provocatively while George and Honey watch, commenting
• Title of act 3: The Exorcism
  • Christian ritual to get rid of unwanted spirits
    • In this case, George and Martha's imaginary son
    • In this act, the get rid of (Exorcise) all of the lies and illusions that they base their marriage off of
    • They kill off the fantasy child to draw Martha back into reality

George and Martha Washington

• Those that the two main characters are named after
• George and Martha are made to represent all of America
• Ironic, because they aren't happy, or stable

Success:

• Martha is very focused on George's lack of success in his taking control of the history department
  • She cares more than George does
  • She wants someone to take over after Daddy since she couldn't, because she is female
• If your family wasn't perfect, it was only proper to pretend that it was
• Nick and Honey seem like the perfect, successful couple
  • However, they only married due to a hysterical pregnancy
  • and Nick wanted Honey's money
  • Nick cheats on Honey
  • Honey drinks herself sick